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How losing to GWS can be a blessing in disguise

Now that we've had 2 finals was thinking about what would happen if we win/lose against the Giants.

Win - week off and play winner of Dogs/Hawks in PF - assuming GWS win next week, play winner of GWS/Cats in GF

Loss - play winner of Crows/North - play Cats in PF - could play GWS in GF

Now apart from not having the week off, think the losing path gives us better match ups. I'm confident against either the Crows/North at SCG - much more so than against Dogs and Hawks who have both won at SCG this year. And if we are to play Cats at MCG would prefer to do so in PF as opposed to Grand Final. And then if we were to play GWS in GF, I would be supremely confident even if we had lost three weeks earlier to them.

Do I want us to lose tomorrow? Of course not. Does the result tomorrow one way or another guarantee anything? No.

But as people around in 2005 know, losing in the first week can lead to the beginning of something wonderful.

After tonight, I would feel more comfortable playing Geelong in the grand final (if we were to make it that far) than GWS. I don't think the Cats have the same midfield depth as the Giants, whose run could cause us huge problems on the MCG.

Now that we've had 2 finals was thinking about what would happen if we win/lose against the Giants.

Win - week off and play winner of Dogs/Hawks in PF - assuming GWS win next week, play winner of GWS/Cats in GF
JiLoss - play winner of Crows/North - play Cats in PF - could play GWS in GF

Now apart from not having the week off, think the losing path gives us better match ups. I'm confident against either the Crows/North at SCG - much more so than against Dogs and Hawks who have both won at SCG this year. And if we are to play Cats at MCG would prefer to do so in PF as opposed to Grand Final. And then if we were to play GWS in GF, I would be supremely confident even if we had lost three weeks earlier to them.

Do I want us to lose tomorrow? Of course not. Does the result tomorrow one way or another guarantee anything? No.

But as people around in 2005 know, losing in the first week can lead to the beginning of something wonderful.

It's always great to look at things from differing angles. I however prefer to just have our team keep winning. Only three more wins required which is much less stress than throwing a loss in to the mix.

Now that we've had 2 finals was thinking about what would happen if we win/lose against the Giants.

Win - week off and play winner of Dogs/Hawks in PF - assuming GWS win next week, play winner of GWS/Cats in GF

Loss - play winner of Crows/North - play Cats in PF - could play GWS in GF

Now apart from not having the week off, think the losing path gives us better match ups. I'm confident against either the Crows/North at SCG - much more so than against Dogs and Hawks who have both won at SCG this year. And if we are to play Cats at MCG would prefer to do so in PF as opposed to Grand Final. And then if we were to play GWS in GF, I would be supremely confident even if we had lost three weeks earlier to them.

Do I want us to lose tomorrow? Of course not. Does the result tomorrow one way or another guarantee anything? No.

But as people around in 2005 know, losing in the first week can lead to the beginning of something wonderful.

True - just ask Hawthorn in 2015 !

I get your point , but the fact is : we are Sydney , we are ready , we are battle-hardened - and we fear no-one.

I do think the week 2 finals are likely to be tougher than most years though - dogs will be no easy pushoever for the hawks, and despite having home advantage, Adelaide have all the arsenal (Assuming they beat LolNorf) to push us or GWS very hard.

I can see the viewpoint of people in this thread, but a win today I still think is ultimately preferable.

"You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."

Now that we've had 2 finals was thinking about what would happen if we win/lose against the Giants.

Win - week off and play winner of Dogs/Hawks in PF - assuming GWS win next week, play winner of GWS/Cats in GF

Loss - play winner of Crows/North - play Cats in PF - could play GWS in GF

Now apart from not having the week off, think the losing path gives us better match ups. I'm confident against either the Crows/North at SCG - much more so than against Dogs and Hawks who have both won at SCG this year. And if we are to play Cats at MCG would prefer to do so in PF as opposed to Grand Final. And then if we were to play GWS in GF, I would be supremely confident even if we had lost three weeks earlier to them.

Upsets can happen in finals. That's why I would rather have a win and go straight to a home preliminary final than have a loss and risk another loss in an upset. If we lose to the Giants, we would most likely face Adelaide; North Melbourne's form in the past month has been poor (they are coming off four straight losses) and it's unlikely that they will win. Adelaide has also beaten us this year, albeit in an away game. Adelaide defeating us is not unlikely (10 wins against them in 20 years is proof of that).

A win would see us face the Hawks or Dogs in a home preliminary final. We have lost to both of them at home, but in both cases by less than a goal after leading late in the match. It was only inexperience that cost us both games, and you can be sure that the cause of both losses has been examined in depth by the coaching staff to reduce the chances of it happening again. We have also beaten Hawthorn away this year. The Dogs have a lot of injuries, and the Hawks are an aging side that may be running out of legs late in the season. I would fancy our chances against either side in a home preliminary final after a week's rest.